Clenching Water
by Pretty P
Summary: Kurama plays the hero and royally screws up. All good things must come to an end, right? Maybe he was wrong. Kur/Kag
1. There She Was

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho._

_AN/ Yep, started a new one. But I already have this whole thing actually completely written. I wrote it in one big chunk, and am dividing it into chapters. I'll be putting out one chapter daily. I think there will be around four or five._

_Written to: "Heaven on Earth" by Mika Nakashima_

_._

_Clenching Water_

_There She Was_

.

"Hey, Minamino!"

Kurama looked up from his lunch to see several of the boys from his class lined up against the fence that separated them from the recreational courts. A few of them were waving for him to come over. Sighing, the redhead packed away the remainder of his meal and rose from the picnic table to see what they wanted. Probably wanting him to join some club again.

It was a beautiful spring day, on the verge of summer. The gym classes had been moved outside for the warmer weather and all the students at Meiou High School had since dawned their cooler uniforms. It was a seasonal event at the school that all the guys looked forward to, mainly because the girls' skirts got shorter.

As he found his way to the fence, he could see now what his classmates were ogling. The gym class was running on the track. The boys were wearing their blue shorts and the girls their blue leotards and white sweatshirts. However, there was a dark-headed figure out in front who seemed to be leaving the rest in the dust.

He couldn't tell much from this distance, but she was obviously very fit and her hair was extremely long, longer than most girls their age kept theirs. It swished around her well-developed hips as long, lean legs propelled her around the track.

"Who is that girl?" he found himself asking, his voice low and even, betraying nothing of his current state of mind. Youko was beginning to awaken and he could feel the old fox rustling around inside him restlessly.

Takashi Sasuke, a tall handsome boy known for his womanizing, smirked in his direction. "That's Higurashi Kagome. She's a beauty, huh?"

Kurama nodded in assent, watching as she rounded the track and came around to their side. As she passed, he noticed the white bandages wound tightly around the length of her right thigh and several dark bruises marking the creamy flesh of her arm. That was strange.

Moments later, four other girls, who had obviously been trying to catch up to her, slowed to a stop, doubled over and panting in exhaustion. "Kagome-chan!" one of them shouted ahead. The girl didn't seem to hear her.

Not taking his eyes off the jogging beauty, he asked, "Why haven't I seen her before?" She didn't seem like the kind of person that would escape anyone's notice.

Takashi ran a hand through his short black hair to smooth it out. "She just transferred here a few weeks ago. We've been trying to get her to join track, but she says she doesn't have time for sports. She's really good; I've seen her run thirty laps without even breaking a sweat."

"If she doesn't play any sports, how does she stay in such great shape?" one of the other boys spoke up.

Takashi shrugged, seemingly uncaring. "Beats me. Hey, Akika-chan!" he shouted to one of the girls still trying to catch her breath. She looked up, knitting her dark brow in annoyance when she saw who was calling her.

"What do you want, hentai?" she asked huffily, making her way the short distance to the fence.

The boy put on an innocent pout. "Ah, you're still mad about that, Akika-chan? That was days ago."

She crossed her arms, looking less than impressed. "It was this morning, you dolt."

Takashi rolled his eyes, but got to the point seeing as she was obviously in no mood for him after this morning's game of grab-ass. "What happened to Higurashi?"

The girl's demeanor changed instantly, turning sympathetic eyes to the figure rounding the track again. "Oh, poor Kagome had to have surgery again! That poor girl has all kinds of health problems. I'm surprised she can still walk! You should see the size of that incision!"

_But that doesn't explain the bruises, _Kurama mused.

"Akika-chan!"

They all turned to see the subject of their discussion standing with the other girls, having come around the track again.

Her hands were set on her hips as her brilliant blue gaze traveled over the group of boys lined up against the fence, resting perhaps a bit longer than necessary on the handsome redhead she knew to be called Shuichi. He was all her friends seemed to talk about. '_Although,' _she mused to herself, '_they have good reason.'_

She noticed his pretty green eyes gazing back at her and realized she had been caught staring. Blushing in embarrassment, she quickly remembered why she'd called out in the first place. "We're going to go play some volleyball; want to come?"

Nodding, Akika waved goodbye to the boys and jogged back to her group of friends, all of whom seemed to be giggling and whispering to each other, throwing surreptitious glances towards Kurama.

As she caught up to them, they waited for Kagome as she bent to flip her hair over, quickly pulling the mass of silky black waves into a ponytail, oblivious to the row of boys behind her ogling her round backside.

When the girls were out of earshot, the boys all started talking.

"Did you see the legs on her?"

"Her boobs are huge!"

"She has such pretty eyes."

They all turned to look at the small brown-haired boy. "You were looking at her eyes?" one of them asked. The boy blushed.

Takashi sighed wistfully. "Ah, it doesn't matter anyway. She's turned us all down." A boy beside him cleared his throat. "Er, some of us on several occasions."

Kurama turned surprised green eyes to the boy. "You've asked her out?" he asked. He'd never known any girl to turn down Sasuke Takashi.

He nodded with a little frown. "Yeah, she said she wasn't really looking for a boyfriend." He smirked devilishly then. "I wasn't looking for a relationship, though. I'd just like to get those pretty legs wrapped around me."

'_I'd have to agree with him there,' _Youko whispered in his mind, having been watching the scene in silence.

One of the other boys snickered. "He told her so, too. And she punched him right in the face. I was there. It was awesome!"

Scowling, Takashi rubbed his jaw, remembering the painful hit. "Yeah, she must take Taekwondo or something," he muttered irritably.

"Hey," another boy said, "you should ask her out, Minamino!"

Kurama blinked, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Me?"

Takashi nodded, "Yeah, she was looking right at you!"

Kurama shook his head in disbelief. "She was looking at all of us; probably wondering why we were watching her."

"No, she was _really_ looking at you." Takashi waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "She was checking you out."

He thought back to the incident in question, and remembered how she'd blushed when he'd caught her gaze. "Takashi-"

"Ah, come on, if anybody has a chance with her it's you!"

"But you said yourself she wasn't looking for a boyfriend," Kurama tried to reason, becoming more uncomfortable with the situation by the second.

But Takashi wouldn't give up. "Nah, that's just something girl's say when they're not interested. But you're Shuichi Minamino! You could have any girl you want! You have your own fan club, for kami's sake!"

Kurama waved his hands, laughing nervously. "But I don't even know her."

"That's what dates are for, Minamino!"

The avatar drifted into thought for a moment. The incident with his only other girlfriend Maya still hurt him. They hadn't been really serious, but she'd been attacked because of him. And he'd had to erase her memories. It had been then that he realized the real gravity of having an ancient fox spirit in his body. He couldn't have a normal life, not now and not ever.

'_But she is very pretty,' _Youko spoke up again. My, he was active.

'_Of course I am; who could sleep with such a delicious little morsel just begging to be devoured,'_ he chuckled, recalling images of the girl's round behind setting on those impossibly long legs. Kurama's pants suddenly became uncomfortably tight.

_But what if they come after this one, too? You know it will happen sooner or later, _Kurama argued, thoroughly against the idea of having to face that reality again.

'_Perhaps,' _Youko said, not a hint of his regret for his counterpart's position crossing his voice, _'but you're stronger now. We'll be able to sense anything coming and take it out before she sees it. It'll be easy,' _the old fox concluded with a smug smirk. _'Besides, it's not as though we're marrying her. It's just a date.'_

Knowing he wouldn't get any rest until he did something about the little raven beauty, he conceded to ask her out. Coming back to reality, he heard Takashi finish up his explanation. "… And besides, if she says no we can all just assume she's a lesbian," he concluded.

Kurama blinked at him.

.

The next day they were all gathered around the fence again, Kurama having come over of his own accord today. He couldn't deny her allure.

They watched as she outran the other students, her gate easy and relaxed, a small smile on her face as the wind blew through her hair. Occasionally, one of the boys would make a crude comment and Kurama couldn't help the little swell of displeasure at their lack of respect. She wasn't an object.

As the girl rounded the far end of the track, she disappeared behind a large crowd of students picking teams for soccer. Minutes passed and she failed to reappear.

"Hm, maybe she went to the bathroom or something," Takashi guessed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "Wanna go take a peak?" he asked Kurama.

Shaking his head politely, he answered, "I believe I will have to decline. I need to visit the restroom myself. I will return shortly."

He walked back towards the entrance of the school, passing through the halls unhindered but not unnoticed. No one questioned him as he exited out the back and crossed the tennis courts, heading towards the far end of the track where he'd last seen Kagome.

He could smell her natural scent of orange blossoms and the perfume of her strawberry shampoo leading off the track to the fence where it merged into the woods. What was she doing skipping school for a romp in the woods?

Glancing around, he concluded that no one seemed to have noticed her absence. He was about to scale the fence himself when he heard footfalls approaching from the trees. Quickly, he ducked behind a small oak tree inside the fence and watched as the strange girl came into sight.

Her dark head swiveled and her azure eyes searched the scattered courtyard. When she was satisfied that no one was looking, she scaled the fence with ease and with an expert flip over the top landed on the other side, wincing as the motion obviously pulled the wound under her bandages.

Kurama watched with interest as she pulled the collar of her sweatshirt down over her shoulder to inspect the large, discolored bruises already forming there. He heard her swear softly to herself and sigh in irritation. "Inuyasha is not going to like this.

'_That's a strange name.'_

_Indeed._

Quietly, he stepped out from behind the tree, approaching her from the side. She hadn't noticed him yet. He cleared his throat when she didn't look up.

Her head shot up and a panicked look crossed her face when she saw him. "Uh, M-Minamino-san! What are you doing here?" she laughed nervously.

'_My, she's a jumpy one.'_

He smiled disarmingly at the flustered girl as she fidgeted with the hem of her sweatshirt, having quickly covered the bruises when she realized he was there. "Actually, I needed to ask something of you, Kagome-san," he replied politely, deciding to pretend he didn't just see her sneak back to school.

"Um, sure, Minamino-san," she smiled anxiously, an adorable blush rising to her cheeks.

"I was wondering if you would be adverse to accompanying me to the movies this evening."

Looking stricken, the girl looked around her in confusion. Seeing no one, she was forced to conclude that Shuichi Minamino, the most sought after guy in Meiou High (and probably the entire Tokyo school system) was asking her on a date. It was… surreal.

"M-me?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded and continued amiably, inwardly becoming the slightest bit nervous at her lack of an answer.

Kurama had always been a rather self-assured boy, not conceited or pompous, but always confident in his own abilities. But asking a beautiful girl who had already turned down half his classmates was something else. She was so pretty. She could have anyone. She was going to say no, he just knew it. And then that would be awkward. "That is, if you have no prior engagements?"

The blood rushed to her face. "P-prior engagements?" she stuttered, thinking of Inuyasha's reaction when she told him she was going to skip out on shard-hunting this evening for a date. With another guy. Not that he had any right to be possessive of her after his little confession. No, he had no right.

Kurama watched tensely as the girl's expression turned sad and she seemed to be drifting further into her thoughts. Had he upset her? "Kagome-san?" he asked gently.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. "Um, yes, Minamino-san. I'd, love to go to the movies with you," she said with a genuine smile. Screw Inuyasha!

Kurama kept a cool façade, but inwardly sighed with relief. This whole dating thing was a lot harder than it looked. He flashed her a smile and walked her back to the locker room when the school bell rang, signaling the end of his lunch and her gym class.

.

That evening, Kurama waited patiently outside the movie theater. Anxiously, he checked his watch again. Ten after. Where was she?

"Minamino-san!"

Looking to the end of the street, he saw Kagome running towards him, waving frantically. He watched as she skidded to a stop in front of him and immediately rushed into an explanation. "I'm so sorry! I got home late and then I had trouble getting out of the house and-"

"It's okay; you're here now," he soothed, offering her an arm which she gratefully accepted and leading her through the doors. She smiled at him and read over the list of movies playing. He took advantage of her distraction to study her. She'd pulled some of the hair around her face up in a pin and curled the ends. She was wearing a simple green dress with a white sweater hanging over her thin shoulders. She'd put on a little make-up and just enough eye shadow to set off her unusual blue eyes. She looked very lovely, and he considered himself lucky to be out with her.

He pulled himself from his thoughts when she turned those luminous eyes on him and pointed up to the list. "What about Paprika? Would you like to see that one?"

Kurama didn't know much about the film, but nodded his assent anyway. Whatever she picked out he was sure would be fine. He bought them drinks and a popcorn to share and they took their seats.

The movie was enjoyable, but it was made better by the company. After the film was over, Kurama offered to treat her to dinner as it was still somewhat early. Kagome agreed and they ate at a sushi bar just down the street.

They talked over their meal, and Kurama found that he genuinely enjoyed Kagome's company. She wasn't pushy or suggestive, like any other girl he'd ever associated with. She was honest, but kindly so. And she was a very easy person to get along with.

Kagome listened to Kurama talk about his family and his hopes for life after high school. He was a senior and would be graduating this year. He wanted to go to college for botany, but his mother would rather him go into something in the medical field. She liked how polite he was, how he did everything to make her feel at ease. It was nice for a change.

After dinner, Kurama walked Kagome home to the shrine, their path lit by the street lamps. They stopped under the torii at the base of the steps. Kagome fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress, a habit Kurama found endearing.

With a light blush, he took her tiny hand in his own large one and looked into her eyes, causing heat to rush to her face as well. "I enjoyed being with you tonight, Kagome-san. May I see you again?" he asked earnestly.

Kagome smiled brilliantly, her joy seeming to light up the dark street. "I would not be adverse to that," she teased him lightly, earning her a smile in return.

Quickly, before she could change her mind, she stretched up on the balls of her feet and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Shuichi-san," she whispered before turning abruptly to run up the stairs. She paused once she got to the top to wave down at him before disappearing into her house.

Kurama smiled. It was a good night.

.

AN/ Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Please review!


	2. The Altruist's Folly

_AN/ So, here is the next installment. I know I said I'd be updating daily, but I will be leaving for the weekend and it is not yet certain that I will have access to a computer. In the event that I don't, I apologize. However, you will have an update by Sunday evening at the latest. Thank you for your patience! Also, I fixed the weird underlining thing in the last chapter. Have no idea how that happened._

_Written to: "Crystal Eyes" by Stoney Larue and "Lady" by Regina Spektor_

_._

_Clenching Water_

_The Altruist's Folly_

_._

It had been two months since their first date, and they'd been out nearly every day after school since then. Kagome could only see him through the school week, as she had told him she traveled out of town on the weekends. She didn't explain further and he didn't press the issue.

It was summer now, mid July, and Tokyo was in the middle of a heat wave. The couple was outside on the lawn behind Kagome's house, lounging in lawn chairs. The radio between them spilled out lazy summer tunes, filling the comfortable silence between them.

Kagome sighed contentedly, nursing her iced lemonade with relish. The sun warmed her to the bone, making her feel lazy and sated. It was a perfect day with her perfect boyfriend.

Slowly, she reached down and flipped off the radio. "Hey, Shuichi-kun," she spoke softly, so as not to startle him.

"Mm?" was his response as he slid open one emerald eye to look at her through his sunglasses.

"Tell me the story of Youko, the King of Thieves, again." She smiled hopefully in his direction.

Kurama grinned as he felt Youko stir in him. He'd been napping, enjoying the peaceful summer day, when he'd heard his name from the young girl. He'd taken quite a liking to her, and not just in a physical sense, though the old fox did not keep his attraction to her a secret. Still, he'd toned it down a bit since they'd gotten to know her.

Lately, by Youko's suggestion, he had begun telling her stories of his counterpart's past adventures under the guise of fairy tales. And to his surprise, she utterly enjoyed them. But she'd heard this one a million times.

"Why do you want that one, Kagome-chan? You've heard it many times before," he told her, lowering his shades to see the adorable blush that spread across her cheeks as she pulled at the hem of her denim shorts.

"I know, but it's my favorite," she told him. "And," she continued with a nervous smile, turning her face to hide her embarrassment, "I just like to… to hear your voice."

Kurama smiled softly at her admission, and took her hand to tug her out of her chair and into his lap. She settled in between his bent knees, her stomach tickling strangely at the skin-on-skin contact of her cheek against his bare chest. Squirming a bit until she got comfortable, she wrapped her arms around his neck and contented herself with fiddling with his silky red hair.

After a short delay in which Youko made a comment about foxes being opportunists, Kurama began the story.

"Youko Kurama was the greatest thief Japan had ever known. For two thousand years, he led a group of bloodthirsty bandits on a path to fame and fortune. He was known throughout the land as a calculative and merciless outlaw who cared nothing for those who did not serve his purposes. He traveled the land with his band of brigands and stole valuables from kings and warlords and pillaged settlements in the quest for adventure and power.

He was very powerful. It was said he could send a man to his death with a flick of his wrist. Many feared him and he made many enemi-"

"What did he look like?" Kagome interrupted, absently trailing her fingers over his exposed collar bone.

Kurama blinked. Well, that was a new one. She'd asked questions, but never about something so… trivial.

'_My beauty isn't a trivial matter, boy. Now tell her what I look like.' _Youko grinned as he remembered how Kagome had said this was her favorite story.

"Uh, well, I guess he looked like any other fox demon," he replied vaguely.

Kagome raised her head to look up at him with an exasperated expression. "But there are all kinds of foxes, Shuichi-kun. There are red ones, brown, black, gold, gray, white, silver."

"A silver. He was a silver fox," he told her.

Kagome nodded, seeming satisfied with his answer. "He was a noble, then," she concluded to herself.

Youko blinked, surprised.

Kurama copied him to the outside world. "Yes, I suppose he was."

She didn't reply, only sighed against his skin, so he continued with the story. "He made many enemies, and one night he led a few of his strongest bandits on a heist in a great castle. But, the king of the castle knew of his approach from a traitor in their group and he had an army of demons ready to defend his treasure. When Youko realized what had happened, he fled with his most trusted partner and best friend Kuronue-"

"Did he have ears?" the girl in his lap interrupted him again.

The boy shook his head, confused. "Did who have ears, Kagome-chan?"

"Youko," she clarified. "Did he have ears like a fox?" She set her hands atop her head to demonstrate, looking at him with a wild, childish curiosity.

Kurama smiled at her expression and nodded. "M-hm, just like a fox."

"And a tail, too?" she asked him.

"Nine of them."

Her blue eyes widened at this revelation. "Wow," she whispered. "Nine tails."

'_I would give Hiei the key to my vault to know what was going through that pretty head right at this moment,'_ Youko chuckled richly at her thoughtful expression as she once again settled against them for the story.

Kurama cleared his throat and began again. "The guards chased Youko and Kuronue into the forest where Kuronue was caught in a trap of bamboo shoots. Dying from the wounds, he told his friend to leave him or they'd both be killed. Youko didn't want to leave, but heeded his friend's dying wish and fled," he finished.

Youko was strangely silent in his mind.

He looked down to see the sad expression on Kagome's face. Her blue eyes were darkened with gray and tears clung to her lashes. "It must have been so hard for him. He may have been ruthless and brutal, but he wasn't heartless. Youkai have hearts, too," she whispered.

The ancient fox in him was listening intently to her, ears perked forward in interest. He fixed a thoughtful frown to his lips. _'She talks as though she thinks youkai are real beings.'_

_It is strange._

"You talk as though you've seen these youkai, Kagome-chan," Kurama echoed Youko's thoughts.

Kagome seemed to be contemplating this and opened her mouth to answer him. However, she thought better of it at the last moment and seemed to sigh in resignation. _'Who am I kidding?' _Kagome thought sadly. _'Shuichi is understanding, but not that understanding. If I told him about… well, he'd just send me to an asylum. But I want him to know. I don't like keeping secrets from him. And it's getting really hard to keep all those youkai at bay. How are they showing up in my time? Where are they coming from?…' _

Shaking her head, she thought of the most plausible explanation for her strange affinity for mythical creatures. "I've grown up with stories of youkai and spirits. Grandpa tells them as if they are real; he has a way of blurring the line between the physical realm and that of the spirits. I guess I'm just used to it." She looked up nervously. "Is that weird?"

Kurama smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I grew up with stories of the supernatural as well. I understand the feeling." He neglected to mention it was no elderly relative who had passed on these stories and that his experiences with demons were quite intimate.

His girlfriend seemed satisfied with this and laid her head back down on his chest. The avatar smiled in contentment as they lounged in the warm afternoon sun.

'_You know,'_ Youko began in his head, taking on an innocent countenance, _'she does come from a shrine and is familiar with the idea of youkai. One might even say _accepting_…'_

Kurama gave his counterpart a pitying look. He hadn't said as much, but he could tell Youko really liked the girl too and wanted to meet her. _Youko, you know we can't do that._

The old silver fox scowled at him childishly. _'But you've heard the way she talks about demons. I don't know what it is, but I get this strange feeling that she knows more than she's letting on,'_ he tried to persuade him.

Kurama mentally shook his head. _'Admiring youkai in fairy tales and meeting one face-to-face are two entirely different things, Youko. You remember how Maya reacted to that demon that attacked us? And the way she looked at me when I destroyed it. Like she was afraid of me…' _he trailed off sadly.

Youko rolled his eyes. _'Maya was a weakling and a flake,'_ he told him tersely. Then, a softening in his eyes. _'Kagome's different.'_

_I agree with you that Kagome is very different from Maya, but she is still human._

Youko shook his head. _'But I don't think she is,'_ he said thoughtfully._ 'She has this… aura. A weird aura. It doesn't feel entirely human. I don't really know how to explain it. The closest thing I could compare it to is the feel of a goddess. I met one once, in a river, and Kagome's aura feels similar to hers, but… smaller. Quieter.'_

Kurama paused at this and wondered at the fox's explanation. It didn't make much sense, but… What if Kagome wasn't human? What if she could understand? Before he could raise his hopes, he dismissed the thoughts. He was projecting his emotions onto the situation. He was letting his feelings for Kagome distort his logic. It was something he'd never had to deal with before, and found the revelation somewhat disconcerting. He was letting himself sink too deep.

_We can't keep her, Youko, _he said with resolution. _We knew from the beginning this couldn't last._

'_But that was in the beginning,' _was the fox's vague reply, his energy taking on a melancholy feel as he wove himself into Kurama's own energy so he could feel the girl in their lap. Kurama silently agreed.

They looked down as one when she shifted uncomfortably. The fox and the avatar found her concerned blue eyes gazing up at him. She was worrying her bottom lip in that little way that they both found so adorable. "Are you okay, Shuichi-kun?" she asked in a near whisper.

Not wanting to worry her, he merely nodded and pulled her in closer to place a gentle kiss to her hair. She smiled fondly and began sweeping her own kisses across his collarbone and up his neck. Tenderly, she ghosted her lips up his jaw until she found his mouth where she kissed just at the corner of his lips. She stopped and waited.

Kagome giggled when Kurama turned his head, green eyes flashing with impatience, and covered her mouth with his own in a relaxed kiss. She stared up into his strangely gilded irises before she felt his hand make its way over her hip and up the curve of her torso to rest on one of her breasts, barely covered by the thin material of her blue tank-top. Surrendering to thoughtlessness, the little miko let her eyes drift closed and gave voice to a soft moan as he lightly teased her nipple with his thumb.

_Just a little while longer._

Youko was too engrossed in the girl to voice his agreement.

.

"Kagome-chan," Kurama uttered softly to her, carefully inspecting the dark bruises that decorated her wrists. "Where do all these bruises come from?"

The girl beside him immediately stiffened and pulled her sleeves down to cover her injured wrists self-consciously. She turned frightened eyes to him. "They're- They're nothing, Shuichi-kun," she stuttered, trying and failing miserably to appear nonchalant. Inuyasha was right; she was a horrible liar.

Her boyfriend gave her a stern look and pulled her closer on the couch, tucking her slight form up against his side. "You know you can tell me if someone is hurting you," he told her seriously.

The first few weeks of their relationship, he had ignored the bruises that littered her body, attributing it to whatever accident had led her to have the surgery on her thigh that she still spoke very vaguely of. But now, there was no getting around the fact that this was an ongoing attack. Was she abused at home? He'd met her family and he couldn't imagine any of them hurting Kagome. Who then?

The little miko sunk down into the cushions of the couch, turning her eyes away from him. He was struck by how small and vulnerable she suddenly looked in that instance. "It's not what you think." Her voice was so soft, even with his youkai hearing he had to strain to catch the words.

"Every time I see you, there are fresh bruises or cuts," he shook his head in disbelief. He saw her flinch at the hardness of his voice and he lowered his tone. Taking her chin in his fingers, he turned her face so she could see into his eyes. "I'm just worried about you, Kagome-chan. I want to know who is doing this to you."

Her eyes took on a pained look that he misinterpreted to be fear. Fear of exposure, he supposed, and of whoever was doing this. But before he could voice his concerns, she took his face in her small hands and smiled for him. She leaned in and placed a gentle, fleeting kiss to his lips and snuggled down into his lap. Pressing another kiss to the shell of his ear, she spoke softly. "I know you're concerned, but you don't need to worry about me. I promise you, Shuichi-kun, it's not what you're thinking."

And, against his better judgment, he took her word for it. The way she was looking at him and holding him as if he was the most important thing in the world made him want to believe her. She wouldn't lie to him, right?

.

Kagome hummed happily to herself as she bathed and prepared for the day. Just two days ago, she couldn't believe it had been so short a time, the evil hanyou Naraku had taken his last breath on the battlefield. No one had died, though Miroku had taken in copious amounts of poison in Sango's defense. But, with plenty of antivenin and bed rest, he was slowly working it out of his system. And the future looked bright for everyone.

Inuyasha had decided he didn't want to be a full demon any more, so she had left the nearly completed jewel with him for safekeeping until he came for her after Miroku's recovery. They would snuff out the last few and then say their goodbyes. Strangely, she wasn't as saddened by that fact as she had been before. It still made her heart ache to think that she would never see her friends, her second family, again. But it didn't feel like the end of the world anymore. She had Shuichi now. And if he felt the same as she did (which she was sure of), then they had a bright future to look forward to. She had something to hope for.

For the first time in three years, Kagome Higurashi could see the light at the end of the tunnel, the end to this long and painful journey.

Today was the day. She was going to tell Shuichi how she felt.

_Just three words,_ she thought giddily.

Downstairs, she could hear the doorbell resonate through the halls and she quickly pulled a pretty orange sundress over her head before rushing down to answer the door. _That must be him!_

Today was the day. Today was the day he would let Kagome go and leave for college. Unsurprisingly, he had been accepted into Tokyo University and would be moving into a dorm on the campus this afternoon.

His heart clenched painfully in his chest. He didn't want to leave her, but it was necessary. This couldn't go any further. He'd strung her along long enough. It had been a selfish endeavor, but he couldn't say he regretted their short time together. Just that in the end, though he was doing this to protect her, he would be the one to hurt her.

Gathering his resolve, Kurama trekked up the stairs, his feet feeling heavier with every step. He'd never make her smile again, never hold her or comb her hair for her or kiss her or give her flowers or regale her with stories of Youko's past. It was a depressing scenario.

Youko remained strangely silent as they came to Kagome's door and rang the bell once. Immediately, they heard a shuffling and a series of thumps as someone ran down the stairs. He nearly winced as he imagined Kagome's happy smile when she discovered him on her doorstep. And he wasn't disappointed.

The door slid open to reveal an elated young girl in an orange sundress decorated with little goldfish around the hem. Her long blue-black hair clung to her shoulders, still dripping from her bath. She didn't seem to care as she threw her arms around him, squealing happily. "Oh, Shuichi-kun, I'm so happy to see you! I was just getting ready to come over!"

He nearly gave in to the hug, but remembered why he'd come and pulled back to hold her at arms length. He studied the new light that seemed to radiate around her. Her beautiful smile was easier, less strained. The worry lines had left her forehead. She seemed… lighter. Like a great weight had been lifted from her.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he let a somewhat guilty frown tilt his lips. Immediately, Kagome's countenance shifted to concern and she lifted her own pale hands to grasp his on her shoulders. "Shuichi-kun, what's wrong?"

The redhead focused his eyes where her little hands laid over his, her worried eyes searching his own for what had caused him to become so serious. She was just so… Kagome. He was a monster for hurting her.

"Kagome, I don't think…" he trailed off. Swallowing the lump that had suddenly gathered in his throat and wishing Youko could be the one to do this, he tried again. "You know I'm leaving for college today," he said seriously.

She nodded with a timid smile, not sure where this was going but absolutely bursting with the effort to hold in her confession until he could tell her what was so important. She wanted to say those words so badly! She wanted him to know it! And, in the back of her mind, a tiny part of her was afraid that if she didn't do _something_ to solidify their relationship, he would slip through her fingers like Inuyasha had. She couldn't handle that, not again and not with Shuichi.

"And I'm moving onto the campus, too. We won't be able to see each other very much between both of our schedules," he said with a grim expression.

Kagome jumped in. "But that's part of what I wanted to tell you! You see, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do after high school and," she paused, blushing self-consciously and picking at the hem of her dress, "I want to try to get into Tokyo U. next year, too. I'd have to keep my grades up and work a little harder in math, but I really think I could-"

"Kagome, I don't think we should see each other anymore," he said in a quiet admission.

The little miko froze abruptly, shutting her mouth with an audible snap. Her stomach began to sink. "Wh-what?" she stuttered, dazed.

Kurama sighed. "I don't think it will work out. We'll barely be seeing each other." He tried not to notice the tears gathering in her eyes as he spoke.

This was a dream. A really bad dream. She must have fallen asleep in the bathtub.

This couldn't be happening. Not now, not when the future looked so bright.

She thought he felt the same!

She shook her head in disbelief, casting little droplets of water across her shoulders. "Shuichi-kun, I don-" her voice cracked with her tears, "I don't understand."

Frantically, she searched his eyes for any sign of what he was feeling, but they were cold and unfeeling. It was so unlike her Shuichi. Why was he doing this?

Kagome thought back to the last few months. What had she done to anger him? Had she been too needy? She tried to remember how many times she'd called him that week. But she wasn't being needy! She just wanted to hear his voice. Was it because she wouldn't sleep with him? No, Shuichi had never pushed himself on her and he was usually the one to pull away when their kissing got too deep. Was it all the time she spent in the Feudal Era? Was she too fat? Was she not pretty enough? Was she not smart enough?

His soft voice startled her out of her thoughts and numbly, she realized she could feel wetness on her cheeks. Was that the reason? Was she too weak?

"I'm sorry, Kagome." His form swam in her vision as he leaned forward and placed one last soft kiss to her forehead and stepped away. She watched through her tears as he disappeared down the steps, never looking back.

Her knees felt so weak. She barely registered pain in her legs as she collapsed to her knees in the doorway. The little miko clenched her burning eyes shut and buried her face in her hands, choking back the sobs that swelled in her throat.

"But I was going to tell you today," she whispered brokenly. "I was going to tell you. I love you, Shuichi-kun."

.


	3. Under the Surface

_AN/ Forgive me for the delay. And the rather short chapter._

_Written to Elvis Presley's "How's the World Treating You?"_

_._

_Clenching Water_

_Under the Surface_

_._

It had taken five months to find the last few shards of the jewel. They had been in the possession of a few low-level youkai and a group of human bandits. The difficult part had been tracking them down. They'd actually had to travel by boat to another island, forcing Kagome to take a week off of school to make the trip. But, at last they had the completed Shikon no Tama and the little time-traveling miko's journey was truly over.

After a heated debate, they had decided the jewel would stay with Kagome in her time until they could think of a pure wish to rid the world of the Shikon. It seemed as if the well would be staying open, allowing Kagome and Inuyasha to travel through worlds at will. Kagome liked to think it was fate's way of rewarding her for her hard work. Perhaps there was someone up there looking out for her.

She had spent her spare time with Sango as she and her new husband Miroku rebuilt the taijiya village. The older girl had tried to teach her some moves and improve her fighting skills, but the attempt hadn't been entirely successful. She still couldn't wield a sword worth anything, but she'd improved her aim with her bow and learned some evasive maneuvers for close combat.

Sesshoumaru had even stopped by for a few weeks to help in her education. He said it was because he didn't want the Shikon stolen or broken again. "It would be a terrible bother," had been his words. Kagome had giggled and secretly thought it was his way of repaying her for her help in keeping Rin safe during the final battle with Naraku.

He'd said that he "wasn't familiar with the nature of miko energy," but that reiki , which all humans naturally possessed, worked in the same fashion as youki. The youkai lord had worked with her to call forth her natural energy first into her hands and then even into her feet to kick with or just to give her a boost of speed.

After learning how to call forth her reiki, bringing her miko energy to the surface had become a lot easier. Her hama no ya had become a lot more powerful, and if she concentrated enough she could even pull it into her hands for a projectile. It had been exhausting at first, but after some practice, she'd been able to open the gate to that once dormant energy and form spheres of pure miko energy that she could throw at an opponent. They were considerably less effective than her hama no ya, but could be utilized in a pinch. Sesshoumaru had said it was because with her arrows, the energy had something to bond with and contain itself in, but a lot of the energy in her spheres were lost to the air on the way to the target.

The stoic youkai lord had bestowed one last gift on her. Or at least, he had tried. He'd attempted to instruct her in forming a whip as she'd seen him do. It was easy to form, but as she'd soon found out it was a nightmare to try to control. On her first day of practice the whip of energy had snapped back on her. And, because she'd been using her reiki instead of her miko energy out of concern for Sesshoumaru's health (he'd adamantly denied that her measly miko powers could ever do him any serious harm), the whip had left a series of nasty welts across her back and thigh. She'd given up on it after that.

For several weeks, she had tried to contact Shuichi. She had visited his house and talked with his mother, whom she'd quickly become close to during their dating. But, she said Shuichi only called her every few days and hadn't come to visit. He was very busy with his classes.

Shiori had told Kagome that she was very sorry for Shuichi's actions. He hadn't specified the reasons for the break-up, but she'd always thought they would end up together. Blushing, she admitted she'd quite liked the idea of red-haired, blue-eyed grandchildren.

Kagome had left something with her. The movie ticket to Paprika, the film they'd seen on their first date. The little miko had asked the older woman to give it to him when she saw him next.

With tears in her eyes, Shiori hugged the girl, telling her if she'd ever had a daughter she hoped she'd have been like her.

After she finally graduated from high school with honors, she'd returned to the Sengoku Jidai for eight months, wrapping up loose ends and helping rebuild the villages that had been damaged or destroyed during the quest for the jewel.

She tried to stay busy to keep herself from thinking about Shuichi. But always, when the days were slow and there wasn't anything to do or anyone to help, her thoughts turned to the boy she'd left behind. Or had he, in fact, left her behind?

Kagome missed him terribly. She missed his smiles and the way he could make her laugh. He was always so composed around everyone else, but sometimes he could be quite mischievous. And she missed the odd ability he had to pull flowers out of thin air. And she missed the way he cared about her and talked to her when something was bothering her. Her heart ached to know she'd never have that with him again.

Perhaps she'd find someone, someday to take his place. But, secretly, she feared no one would ever be to fill that void he'd left when he walked away so carelessly. She tried to hate him for leaving her. Maybe it would make her feel better. But she couldn't help but think it must have been something she did. She'd pushed him away with her dishonesty and aloofness.

Maybe she'd get over him. Someday. For now, she'd nurse her heart and try to concentrate on keeping the jewel safe.

.

He was at the top of his class, he hadn't had any major assignments from Koenma in the last few months, and it was nearly Christmas. All things considered, Kurama should have been very content with his life.

Except, he wasn't.

Whenever there was a lull in homework or when he was lying in bed in his dorm, he always found himself drifting towards thoughts of that girl he'd become so close to in high school.

Kagome. The name resonated through his soul and made his hair tingle. No one had ever made him feel like Kagome had. No one had ever made his blood rush like her. No one had ever stirred so much passion in him. She made him miserable with need, but in the same instant he could be content just to hold her. She was a paradox and a contradiction. She was kind and quick-tempered. She was wise and foolishly optimistic. Her every emotion and every feeling shown through those deep indigo eyes, but she had deeper secrets.

But she was also human. And despite being born mortal, Shuichi Minamino had been slowly merging with the ancient spirit of the fox demon Youko Kurama. He was an equivocal mixture of human character and demon strength. It was barely noticeable, but he'd seemed to have stopped aging after 18 and his physical strength had been growing gradually since then. Youko still remained an entirely separate entity inside him, but his spirit seemed to be leaking into the human one of Shuichi, giving the boy more of his youkai attributes. Koenma had said of the few documented cases of youkai avatars, this progression seemed to be the general trend. And there was no evidence to suggest it would stop anytime soon.

No matter how much he loved her, Kurama had convinced himself that he could never be completely happy with Kagome simply for the fact that he would forever have to keep part of himself from her. And it would be unfair to her to keep so big a secret from her.

And there was the simple fact of her safety. Anyone around him would be in danger of youkai attacks, one because he was the avatar of Youko Kurama who had made quite a handful of enemies in his day and two because he was part of the Reikai Tantei. The only reason he let Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei get close to him was because he knew they could take care of themselves. But if one of his enemies got a hold of Kagome, it would be his fault. And he couldn't bare to see her hurt.

Not that it had been much of a problem while they'd been dating. Strangely, he'd only encountered one demon that had been after Kagome while they were going out. And in a bizarre turn of events, it hadn't even recognized him. It had kept ranting about a jewel, but had been weak and easily taken care of. Kurama had thought on it for a long time, but couldn't think of a reasonable explanation for the youkai's odd behavior. The two of them had been the only ones in that part of the park and if the demon hadn't even recognized him then it must have been solely set on Kagome But for what reason?

A few days after he had said his goodbyes to Kagome, Youko had begun talking to him again. He almost wished he would have stayed quiet. All the fox did was pout and groan about his "weak human insecurities." He never said so directly, but Kurama could tell Youko was upset about their decision to leave her.

'_It wasn't my decision, human,'_ the old fox spoke in frosty tones.

He'd called him "human." He was brooding again. _It was unavoidable, Youko. You know it could not have worked out._

'_We could have kept her. Even in this form, we're strong enough to protect her from anyone with ill intentions.'_

Youko, as a fox, was a logical creature. But, Kurama supposed that tasting something so sweet and having it ripped away from you could make anyone a bit unreasonable.

He sighed mentally, giving up on his microbiology homework for the time being. _We couldn't be with her every minute of every day. Sooner or later the opportunity would arise for one of our enemies and she would get hurt or killed. Or used against us._

The fox spirit just glared, but stayed silent anyway. After a while, Kurama relaxed and picked up again on his homework.

All was quiet in his head for a while. Then, _'Call Akemi.'_

The girl called Akemi was their latest plaything. In the months following their break-up with Kagome, Youko had become even more insistent in their pursuit of pleasures of the flesh.

She was a nineteen-year-old community college student he'd met at a party he'd been dragged to in early November. She was boring and self-absorbed, and only ever talked of herself. She had the haughty attitude of a pretty girl who had been given too much and not earned enough. She had long, straight brown hair framing a very poised face and draping over a tall willowy figure. Where Kagome had been shapely and colorful, Akemi was like a living skeleton. Kagome had been lively, passionate, and attentive. Akemi may as well have been a statue. A beautiful statue, but a figure of marble and ivory all the same.

Akemi was the opposite of Kagome in every way. But her eyes were two perfect gems of blue. They were lighter in color and whereas Kagome's eyes had always reminded him of a deep ocean, hers brought the cold feeling of winter ice crystals to mind. Where Kagome's had always seemed to gather the light in and reflect it in a rainbow of emotions, Akemi's were dull and numb and seemed to suck the very light from the room like two voids. Still, if they tried hard enough, Youko and Kurama could pretend it was Kagome's beautiful orbs they were gazing into while they had their way with the pliant young woman.

It was a trend they had been following as of late. Some of them shared the long wavy black hair, some the pretty pouting lips, some the curvy hips and legs that seemed to go on for days, some the little voice like tinkling bells. They had yet to find a girl who could rival Kagome's smile. The way she'd always smiled not _at_ him, but _for_ him. Like that smile was just for him and no one else.

Most of the time, Youko would spot these girls first and point him in their direction. Kurama would introduce himself and soon enough the similarities would become readily apparent.

Kurama was no expert on fox psychology (though, if truth be told, he was probably the closest thing to it in the human world), but it was clear to him that the kitsune was, for lack of a better word, lovesick. And he was trying to fill the void Kagome had left the only way he knew how; with sex. And lots of it.

He just hoped the old fox spirit got over Kagome soon, because Kurama wasn't getting any work done. Sighing, he conceded to contact Akemi right after he finished his homework. Youko made an annoyed snort and helped speed the process by giving Kurama the answers nearly faster than he could write them. Apparently, the fox had been paying attention during the lectures.

As they visited Akemi that evening, exchanging caresses and the false words of affection lovers often uttered to cover their shame, the gaping chasm in the shared heart of the fox and the avatar grew ever so wider. The dim light of the bedroom did nothing to hide the sheer emptiness of the act.

As Kurama explored her, Akemi's blue eyes lit with a bare ember of contained passion. He drank it in, the taste of it mild compared to the sweetness of Kagome's. But they would take it.

Kagome had been a mistake, but not one that either Kurama or Youko could bring themselves to regret.

_._

_AN/ More of a transition chapter, I suppose. Don't fret; tomorrow's update will be filled with action!_


	4. The Truth Emerges

_AN/ To make up for the lull in the last chapter, this one is just filled to the brim with action! _

_._

_Clenching Water_

_The Truth Emerges_

_._

It was Christmas Eve! Didn't those stupid youkai know what that meant?

"No,"the young girl with blue-black hair and striking azure eyes sighed with exasperation. "No, I don't suppose they do."

Letting out a slight sound of frustration, Kagome set her lips in the customary pout, dark brows drawn downward in a resigned sort of annoyance, and continued through the white forest. Being so high up on the side of the mountain, the snow here was knee-deep and more than difficult to navigate on a slope.

The miko pulled her downy black coat closer and shivered as her wool tights, which had become wet when the snow exceeded the height of her snow boots, did nothing to protect her legs from the cold. She was wet. She was freezing. And she was absolutely miserable. But still, she kept going.

Being on the edge of the city of Tokyo, the shrine she called home included quite a bit of land. Behind her house, a mountain, small in comparison to the surrounding giants, made its home. They owned several acres of forest up here, ten in fact, and when they were younger Kagome and Souta had often rode toboggans down the slope. Now, though, the sledding path was rocky and overgrown.

The reason she was up here, though, was because of a group of low level demons she had been sensing now for three days. For three days they had not made a move and seemed to pose no threat to the experienced young miko.

However, being this experienced miko that she was, Kagome also knew that youkai were sneaky. And she got the suspicious feeling that these guys were up to something. So, that afternoon after lunch, she'd dressed for a hike and prepared to brave the snow-covered mountain.

She'd brought her bow and arrows with her, in case she got lucky and would be able to take them out from a distance. But, with the numerous trees blocking the path, she doubted her arrows would be very effective in this forest.

As Kagome drew closer to the source of the youki, she stopped and quietly slipped out of her overcoat and hung it over a naked tree branch. Now divested of any restricting clothing, she readied an arrow. She quickly closed the distance when she could make out the forms of three large ogres and a humanoid snake youkai through the trees.

"Hello, boys," she greeted them with more cheer than she felt.

The four turned to look at her, studying her small form in mild confusion. Kagome continued with a smile, keeping the arrow pointed towards the ground in a non-threatening gesture. "You guys have been up here for a while now. And as long as you're not here to cause any trouble, I don't mind you staying on my mountain," she said with a diplomatic smile.

"You're her?" the snake asked, scaly green brows raised in disbelief.

Kagome sighed in exasperation. It seemed she was going to have to kill them. "So, I suppose you want the jewel, huh?"

Now the youkai smiled maliciously. "They didn't tell us you were just a little girl. But I guess it'll make ripping that jewel off your pretty neck all the easier."

"Where have I heard that one before?" Kagome grumbled to herself, lifting the arrow to aim at the chest of the nearest youkai, the snake.

He just gave her a cocky grin. "It'll take more than a little wooden stick to take me dow-" He was cut off as the glowing projectile struck his chest and he burst into ashes.

The others quickly realized what they were up against and began to panic. "She's a fucking miko!"

The tallest of them, a red ogre with wild black hair, snarled at their cowardice. "She's still just a human, you idiots! She can't take three youkai at once!"

With that, the trio of ogres surrounded the young miko and adopted fighting stances. Realizing the futility of a long range weapon, Kagome dropped her bow and quiver of arrows in the snow a few feet to her left and began to draw her miko energy into her right hand. She was prepared when the first took a swipe at her.

Quickly, Kagome dodged to the left and used the momentum to slam the ball of glowing purity into his chest. He instantly dissolved into a pile of ashes. The other two used her distraction to move closer. The one to her right and slightly behind her lunged at her.

The miko gathered another energy ball into her left palm and released it at him in her turn. Anticipating the attack, the ogre ducked and kept coming. Caught unarmed in the momentum of her swing, Kagome was helpless to defend herself as the youkai slashed at her open shoulder. Blood splattered across the snow as the young miko tried to regain her balance after the hit.

She tried to lift her left arm to throw another projectile, but pain bloomed in her shoulder. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she channeled her miko energy into the tips of the fingers of her right hand to form a short whip. If it backfired (as it often did) it would simply pass through her harmlessly.

Kagome pivoted on the balls of her feet and, in one smooth twirl, passed the whip through the chests of both remaining youkai. They burst into a cloud of ash and silence settled through the forest as they fluttered to rest on the pristine white blanket of snow.

The problem taken care of, the girl turned her attention to her wounded shoulder. The monster's claws had ripped right through her turtleneck sweater. Hissing in pain, she peeled back the soaked edges of the shredded material to see the gashes underneath. There were three long, rough cuts. The edges of the wounds had been ripped as if with a serrated knife. It was extremely painful and still bled quite profusely, but they'd avoided any major arteries so they weren't life-threatening. She'd definitely need stitches, though. Kagome cringed. She'd never been fond of needles.

She slung her quiver over her uninjured shoulder, grabbed her bow and coat, and began to pick her way back down the steep mountainside. She was nearing the halfway mark when the cold chill of youki swept down her spine. The girl groaned and nearly cried out in frustration. She just wanted to rest on Christmas Eve!

Kurama's thoughts were in a jumble as the group ran through the crowded, snow-slick streets of Tokyo. Disgruntled passerby looked after them curiously as they dodged through the foot traffic in a hurry. Hiei, having the luxury to do so, had taken to the rooftops. At the moment, Kurama was the slightest bit jealous of the fire apparition. But that was the least of his worries at the moment.

A mere half hour ago, Koenma had contacted the members of the Reikai Tantei to alert them to the presence of four low-level youkai camped on a mountain on the outskirts of the city. They weren't much threat, but the prince had insisted they be taken care of immediately before they caused any trouble with the humans of the area.

It wasn't an unusual case. But what had caught Kurama's attention was the location of these youkai. They were on the grounds of an old shrine, one he had once been very familiar with. And Youko's sudden silence really had him worried.

As the group neared the large red torii of the shrine, Yusuke turned to them and explained the plan. "Alright, there's a family living here, so we have to be discreet about this." Kuwabara almost said something along the lines of Yusuke Urameshi being incapable of discretion, but thought better of it at the last minute. It was late and he really wanted to get this over with so he could get back to spend Christmas Eve with his darling Yukina.

"Stay out of sight until we can get to the woods," their leader finished sternly. He was in a foul mood, being pulled from yet another date with Keiko. She hadn't been too happy about it either.

They all nodded and started up the steps. They weren't surprised when Hiei disappeared when they reached to top, having taken to the trees and roofs of the buildings faster than they could see.

Keeping behind the many buildings that littered the shrine grounds, the group made their way to the mountain. Kurama recognized Kagome's family in the courtyard. Her mother and younger brother, who had grown quite a bit taller since he'd last seen him, were gathering snow for a misshapen snowman. Her grandfather was seated on a bench reading a newspaper, bundled tightly in layers of thick blankets. Kagome, however, was nowhere to be seen. And he couldn't feel her aura around the shrine. Perhaps she'd moved out after high school?

For some reason, this caused Kurama's heart to constrict painfully. She was going on with her life, as he'd wanted her to. He was, too. Somehow, he wasn't as comfortable with the idea as he'd thought. They reached the woods without any problem and began up the steep mountain.

Hiei was ahead of them; he could feel the apparition's aura moving swiftly up the mountain. When he'd reached a certain point, his energy trace disappeared altogether. Kurama supposed he was using the Jagan to mask his aura for his approach to the youkai. He would wait until the others got there to do anything. Hiei usually preferred to observe his opponents before rushing in.

As they neared the youkai, Kurama began to feel a strange energy accompanied by a familiar aura. It had been so long since he'd felt it, but he was positive it was Kagome's. What the hell was she doing up on this mountain alone? And she was heading straight for those youkai!

'_Fox,' _he heard Hiei's voice echo throughhis mind, _'there is something unusual happening.'_

Without prompting, the hybrid flooded his mind's eye with scenes of a battle between a tiny human girl clad in a pleated gray skirt and a plum colored turtleneck and four large youkai. She took out the first one with a glowing arrow, and the next three with energy projectiles and what looked like an energy whip. And they'd all simply burst into ashes on contact with her strange energy.

When he finally saw her face, brilliant blue eyes accented by high cheeks and pouting lips, he stopped in his tracks, mouth agape in astonishment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could feel Youko's surprise. That was Kagome! Their innocent, little Kagome had just taken out four adult youkai single-handedly!

And then he saw the blood soaking through the fabric of her sweater. He pitched forward and had to catch himself when Youko made a sudden rush for freedom. He strained against the force of the old fox's efforts.

'_Damnit, boy, this isn't the time to be standing here!' _he heard the kitsune snarl viciously, straining against the confines of his spirit.

Kurama mentally shook away the initial shock and charged up the hill, quickly overtaking Yusuke and Kuwabara. It was a few minutes before they began to come up on Kagome's aura as it sluggishly descended the mountain. They could see her form silhouetted against the bright backdrop of white snow. She leaned heavily against an ashen tree, right hand covering a wound on her shoulder to staunch the flow of blood. A longbow, arrows, and a coat lay in the snow behind her.

When they finally reached her, her dark head was lowered and her eyes were closed. In an irritated grumble, she asked, "Isn't there any other poor priestess you youkai can bother today?"

Yusuke was about to shout something at her disheveled and bloodied appearance, but Kurama beat him to it. "What in the world are you doing up here, Kagome?"

At the sound of his familiar voice, her eyes snapped open to the size of saucers. "Sh-Shuichi?!" She stumbled backward into another tree, letting out a little yelp of pain when her shoulder was jarred. She gaped, mouth struggling to form a coherent sentence. The flustered girl made an almost comical picture as she frantically tossed about for some kind of explanation. "I-It's not what it looks like!"

At the moment, Kurama wasn't really sure what it looked like. There was his ex-girlfriend, the one who he'd broken up with to protect her from youkai, kicking ass and taking names and then stumbling down the mountain in a bloody mess. His pretty, innocent, naïve little Kagome. Had the entire world gone mad?!

Yusuke, getting over his shock at finding a young girl on the mountain instead of youkai, decided to tackle the main issue here. "Uh, shouldn't we get her to a hospital?"

At this, Kagome's temper flared and she glared at the toushin. "I don't need any hospital!" she denied adamantly, trying in vain to turn her body to hide the still-bleeding wound.

Taking note of the steady stream of blood staining the snow at her side, Kurama shook his head and took a step towards her. Explanations could wait for later; right now, she definitely needed medical attention. His face registered mild surprise when she pressed herself closer to the tree at her back and she raised her bloodied hand in a defensive gesture. Her blue eyes held his in fierce determination. He found the rare picture of solemnity from the usually cheerful girl disturbing.

Her quick eyes darted over the three boys, sizing up her opponents. The tall, orange-haired man gazing at her with concerned eyes seemed harmless enough. The other dark-headed figure and the boy she knew as Shuichi had the faintest hint of youki swirling through their auras. But, strangely, in Shuichi's case the demon energy didn't really seem to be a part of him and didn't match the feeling of his own energy.

"Look, Shuichi, I don't know what you're doing with a youkai and a… weird human," she eyed Kuwabara suspiciously- "but I don't have time to talk right now. If you're going to attack me, then go ahead and do it. If you're not, then let me get back down the mountain and get this taken care of," she told him, gesturing towards her shoulder. "It's actually pretty painful."

'_Attack her! What the hell is she talking about?'_ Youko's shock radiated throughout their shared body.

Kurama had to agree. He knew he'd broken up with her, but attack her?! He'd never done anything to suggest- Unless…

He took a quick, sidelong glance at Yusuke, who's youki was flaring around him in agitation. He noticed Kagome's gaze focused on the toushin, the one she considered to be the largest threat. He took in her defensive stance, feet set apart at shoulders width, as if she was braced for attack at any moment.

Kagome was beginning to feel lightheaded from the blood loss. The young miko wavered on her feet and had to throw out the hand of her good arm to balance herself, leaving a bright red handprint on the bark of the tree behind her. The adrenaline from before was gone and she felt like a top-heavy sapling whose slender trunk was too weak to support itself. The edge of her vision became fuzzy and the figures before her swam in and out of focus.

She felt a strange pressure in her head, like something was pressing on the sides of her skull. Her senses dimmed until all she could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears. A fourth figure had joined the group in front of her, a mere splash of black against the snow. A dark, demonic aura swelled against her senses. Why hadn't she felt it before?

The pressure in her head was building, and she tried to shake away the discomfort. Outwardly, she lifted a hand to lay against her forehead, smearing crimson liquid across her brow. She thought she might have heard Shuichi's voice.

It was in her very mind now. Her thoughts felt ghostly and unfamiliar to her, exposed, as if something was looking in on her. In confusion, she lifted her head. Her vision was consumed with a single, glowing purple eye. It's aura was one of pure evil. It was oppressing against her senses, like nothing she'd ever felt. And she realized with a start it was glaring at her.

The thing was in her mind!

The others watched on in surprise as Hiei suddenly jumped onto a high tree branch, a smoking crater in the frozen ground left in his wake. It had happened so fast, they'd barely seen the girl lift her hand to her side, fingers curled as if holding a ball, and release the sphere of swirling blue and pink energy she'd gathered there.

The apparition had a mildly surprised expression as he replaced the white strip of cloth around his forehead. What he'd seen in her mind was both revealing and confusing. He'd have to sort through the conflicting images later. Right now, he had a human girl to obliterate.

The world suddenly rushed back into focus, and Kagome had the impression of forcefully breaking the surface of the water after being held under for too long. That figure! He had tried to break into her mind!

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted up at him on the tree branch. He glared back down at her in contempt.

"Kurama, do you know this human?" he asked of the red-head in a low voice, ignoring her for the moment.

'_Kurama?'_ Kagome thought in confusion. The name sounded so familiar.

The boy she knew as Shuichi nodded in assent, said "Yes, we attended high school together."

Pain briefly blossomed in her chest for a moment, but Kagome quickly buried the sensation. To hear their relationship, all her feelings of love and blossoming passion, all their days spent lounging in the sun and evenings kissing and cuddling under the Goshinboku wadded up and condensed into "We attended high school together." Coming from Shuichi, it made it seem like what they'd had was unimportant, insignificant, not worth remembering. As if it hadn't mattered at all.

Kagome wanted to get away. She wanted to run.

So she did.

The boys gave chase as the strange girl suddenly bolted. Once again masking his aura, Hiei kept easy pace with her in the treetops. The mostly human members of the group, however, were having trouble keeping up.

"Damn, she's fast," Yusuke grumbled as they tore down the mountain after her. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that girl needed medical attention quick. And, if Koenma had any say in the matter (which he would), she'd probably have to have her memory erased afterward.

Kurama silently agreed.

'_Are we sure she's human? How'd she get so damn fast?' _Youko echoed Yusuke's sentiment.

A chill traveled along his spine when their was a sudden burst of the same holy energy the girl had used before. She was so far ahead they could barely make out her form through the trees. What they could see, though, was a pinkish glow about her feet.

Kurama caught himself as he nearly tripped over her furry black boots lying in the snow.

Make that her bare feet. What the hell was she thinking?

At that moment, in fact, Kagome was thinking how there should be a law against so many trees on a steep slope. They were a real hindrance when escaping from youkai… or uncomfortable situations.

The human boyfriend she was just now convincing herself she was over and who she hadn't even talked to in over a year had just shown up out of the blue (in all his gorgeous, crimson-haired glory) asking her what _she_ was doing on _her_ mountain. It was bizarre! And completely preposterous! What the hell was he doing running around with a bunch of youkai? What was he doing with youki in his aura?

And why had the kami seen fit to put so many damn trees on this accursed mountain?

Kagome grunted in pain and cursed colorfully under her breath as she again lost her balance over a hidden root and her shoulder was slammed into a tree. She was sure they'd be able to find her. Just follow the trail of red trees!

She'd shed her cumbersome boots earlier, both because they weighed down her feet and because it was easier to catch her balance on a root if she could mold her foot to the shape of it. Her toes were beginning to go numb, but it didn't matter. She was almost there!

As she was nearing the base of the mountain, she began to plan. Admittedly, she hadn't really thought it through when she started running. But now that she was far enough away from the source of the problem, she could worry about her next move.

First, she needed to get her shoulder looked at. The rush of adrenaline she'd experienced when that _thing_ had invaded her mind had dulled her pain and brought her senses into focus. But that wouldn't last long.

She couldn't go to the hospital, of course. Too many questions. And she couldn't ask her mother to stitch her up. She always tried to keep the worst of her injuries from her. Kagome knew she was aware of the dangers of the life she led, but to know and to actually witness it were two totally different things.

So, she'd go to Kaede. She just had to make it to the well first.

But, upon reflection, she wasn't sure she could leave her family with four strangers on the property whose motives she still wasn't sure of. None of them had even spoken of the jewel. And they'd actually seemed surprised to find her up there. As if they were looking for something else. The youkai she'd killed, perhaps?

Kagome shook her head. It didn't matter. Despite whatever else he might be (a jerk, namely), Shuichi wasn't a bad guy. He was sweet and compassionate and had once been her dear friend. And he still had that same kind look in his green eyes. So, she would trust him not to harm her family.

She could trust him, she was sure.

When Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara finally reached the now empty courtyard, they were surprised to find the girl they'd been chasing vanished without a trace and Hiei inspecting an old wooden well house. The apparition ran his hands over the wood of the sliding door with a look of concentration on his usually stoic features.

They stopped behind him, panting. Yusuke, of course, was the first to speak. "Where'd she go?"

Hiei looked into the open well house. "She disappeared," he explained simply.

"Disappeared?" Kurama prompted, sidling up to the hybrid and looking into the darkness of the old wooden structure.

'_She jumped into that well. There was a swell of a strange energy. And then she disappeared,' _Hiei's voice echoed through his mind.

_A portal to one of the other worlds?_

The apparition gave a mental shrug. _'I tried to go in after her. It would not allow me passage.' _There was a somewhat bitter tone to his words.

'_You were keeping up with her alright. Why didn't you detain her?' _Youko asked of him accusingly.

Hiei turned a cold glare to the fox. '_I have an aversion to purification,'_ he bit out sarcastically.

No other words were exchanged as the apparition disappeared onto the roof and settled himself into a comfortable position to wait. Though he wasn't usually inclined to put so much effort into a case, his curiosity had been piqued.

"So," Yusuke crossed his arms and eyed Kurama in slight annoyance.

Kurama tilted his head toward the well house. "Hiei says she jumped into that well and disappeared," he explained shortly.

Yusuke gave a snort of irritation. "No doubt the toddler will want to know about this." He stared at the old building for a moment, appearing to be thinking. "So, what now? Any ideas, foxboy?"

Said fox gave a slight grin at the nickname and cleared off a seat on a nearby bench, one of many that littered the shrine grounds. "We wait," he said simply.

The toushin yawned theatrically and turned towards the steps, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Yeah, well, you let me know when she comes back. Keiko wants to exchange presents and I guess I gotta go buy her something."

Kurama dipped his head in understanding. "And you Kuwabara?"

The man rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Eh, I was hoping to spend the evening with my darling Yukina."

On the roof, Hiei's aura darkened considerably. He briefly entertained the notion of using the Jagan to plant some devious suggestion in the annoying human's mind.

"Of course," Kurama nodded.

Kuwabara grinned widely and slapped the older boy's shoulder. "Thanks, Kurama! We'll have our communicators!" he yelled back over his shoulder as he ran off after Yusuke.

The evening was still young and the sky was just starting to darken with the oncoming nightfall. They had a few more hours of daylight. Snow was beginning to fall, adding to the already deep layer on the shrine grounds.

He had a lot to think about. Namely, how in the world his ex-girlfriend had come to be involved with demons. And where she could have disappeared to through that portal.

As Kurama settled in for a long wait, the voice of his fox counterpart echoed imperiously across his mind. _'Told you so.'_

_._


	5. The Drunken Butterfly

_AN/ So, sorry about the wait. The week's been hectic and stressful enough to drive me to tears. I've decided I don't want to be an adult anymore. Nope, adluthood isn't for me. Take these bills and give me back my pacifier, damnit!_

_Written to: "Hana no Yuki" by Mika Nakashima_

_._

_Clenching Water_

_The Drunken Butterfly_

_._

They were beginning to think Kagome wouldn't be coming back that night, so the two curious youkai had struck a deal. If she didn't show by one, Kurama would go home (he was visiting with his family for Christmas) and Hiei would stay and alert him if anything changed.

In the hours that stretched as they awaited her return, Kurama shared his history with the odd girl and Hiei shared what he had seen from his brief glimpse of her memories.

Since the hybrid had immediately zeroed in on her experiences with youkai when he searched her mind, all the memories he had gathered were of any demonic contact she'd had in her life. And there had been a lot.

First and foremost was the image of a silver-haired inuhanyou who Hiei immediately recognized as Inuyasha, a prominent figure in the Makai. He was known for his immense power, despite being half human, and his brash disposition. He was classified as an S-class demon on the Reikai scales.

Surprisingly, there were many memories, both of a threatening and amiable nature, of one of the most feared demons in the Makai, Lord Sesshoumaru. He was a super S-class, but more reclusive than his half-brother. The most recent memories were of training sessions held in quiet camaraderie. It was clear now where the girl had acquired the use of her weaker version of the youkai's energy whip.

There were hundreds of others, both friends and enemies. A young red kitsune who adored her like an older sister. A wolf leader who just adored her. Battles with swarms of low-level youkai, intent on the strange jewel at her throat (Where had it come from and why did she have it?). Traps of an evil, murderous hanyou. Even how she'd snuck away on dates with Shuichi to destroy some weak demon that had made it through the barrier between worlds and returned moments later to resume as if nothing had happened.

It was baffling to Kurama how she'd kept such a large secret from him while they'd been dating. Now he knew why he'd never encountered any demons when around her. She'd taken care of them before he could get to them!

How had he been so blind to the real situation? Perhaps he had been too intent on what was going on inside himself, he hadn't taken notice of the facts. He'd been so sure he had only a short time with her, he'd fooled himself into ignoring the evidence to the contrary.

'_But, we can have her now!' _Youko insisted adamantly. He had been participating in the conversation animatedly. Kurama noticed his change in disposition from the last year of their shared existence. He was excited, golden eyes glowing with mischief and tails swishing happily. He was ready to pounce on Kagome the very moment she came through those doors.

Kurama sighed, running a hand through his hair in a rare show on uncertainty. _How can we be sure she'll want us, Youko?_

The fox merely snorted in disbelief. _'How could she not?'_

_We were very short with her when we left._

'_She'll forgive you.'_

_We broke her heart._

'_You did. And we'll explain to her the misunderstanding. As I said before, she'll forgive you.'_

_And she doesn't know what we are._

'_You've seen the way she treats that hanyou and the kit. It won't matter.'_

_Youko, she's a miko._

The fox's annoyance at his counterpart's stubbornness was beginning to show. _'It won't matter. She cares for that kit as her own. She obviously doesn't make distinctions, for whatever reason.'_

_In a completely platonic relationship, no she doesn't make distinctions, _Kurama tried to reason with him. _But do you honestly think a miko is going to want a romantic relationship with a ruthless fox thief sharing a body with a not completely human spirit detective?_

There was moment of silence in his mind. _'… Are we talking about the same Kagome?'_

Kurama nearly growled in frustration. _What if she's moved on? What if she's found someone else?_

Youko appeared to mull this possibility over for a moment, then shrugged nonchalantly. _'Then we'll kill him.'_

_Yes, that will win her over, _Kurama drawled sardonically.

The silver fox merely shrugged as if it didn't matter. And to him, it didn't. There was something beautiful he wanted and had previously thought out of his reach. But she'd been dropped back into his lap again, and this time he wasn't letting go. Kurama's insecurities be damned.

'_Look, Red, you're making assumptions before we know all the facts. But no matter what you say, I know that Kagome will want us just as she did before. Before you decided it was too dangerous to keep her. But now we know she can defend herself. Quite well, I might add,' _he reminded him.

Kurama had nothing to say to this. In truth, he wanted Kagome just as much as Youko did. But he was sure she wouldn't take them back. They'd broken her heart. They'd left suddenly and without explanation. And he saw in her eyes how devastated she was when he'd told her it was over.

And then there was the fact that he was actually two separate people.

Although, Kagome had known both of them, even if she'd only formally met one of them. Youko had been there, too. Holding her and kissing her and sharing in and contributing to their conversations. He'd worried over her injuries (which all made so much sense now) and held her when she cried over something or another. He'd _loved_ her just as Kurama had, even if the old fox wouldn't commit to the word.

He would, though. And he vowed to himself to tell her. Just as soon as she came back.

'_Something about those images doesn't fit, fox,' _the previously absent voice of the hybrid on the roof above him drifted through his thoughts.

He thought back to the memories Hiei had shown him. A lot of things were odd, out of place. Inuyasha looked… younger. And many of her memories of battle took place in what looked to be the wilderness of the Ningenkai. Untouched forests, natural springs, pristine mountains, the only sign of civilization being worn dirt roads winding through the valleys. It just wasn't something you found these days.

And there were the images of the human villages. Old, archaic huts and shrines inhabited by families all dressed in cotton kimonos. No denim jeans on the boys, no western sundresses on the young girls, no electricity or cars or running water. Nothing to suggest they'd been touched by the outside world in hundreds of years.

It was almost as if it was not only another world, but another _time_.

The realization was enlightening and puzzling in the same instance.

_I know what you mean. Do you suppose… _Kurama thought about what he was about to suggest. It seemed impossible, but what other explanation was there? Mentally shaking his head, he pressed on. _Do you suppose she's a time traveler?_

'_Hn,'_ Hiei gave a noncommittal reply. His guess was as good as any.

'_It would make sense, wouldn't it?' _Youko seemed to be talking more to himself than either of them. He was beginning to become restless as they waited for Kagome. What if she was lying somewhere on the other side of that well, alone and bleeding to death?

Kurama checked his watch. 12:50. He sighed in disappointment. It didn't look like they'd be seeing Kagome tonight. He rose from his position on the bench, shaking the snow from his hair and stretching out the kinks in his back. His breath billowed out in a cloud as he yawned.

The snow had still not stopped and it was slowly getting colder as the night progressed. And he was exhausted.

"I believe I will retire for the night," he called up to the roof softly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping occupants of the house across the courtyard. The hybrid merely dipped his head in assent. "Goodnight, Hiei."

Just then, there was a swell of strange energy from the well house. Hiei quickly flipped over to crouch low on the roof, using the Jagan to completely mask his presence.

Kurama's heart soared when he felt the familiar aura of Kagome replace the mystical energy of the well. But there was another with her, a demonic aura swirling red with anger. He stiffened as a dark figure came through the doorway.

When he stepped into the moonlight, Kurama could see it was Inuyasha, the younger version they'd seen in Kagome's memories. His features were set in a veiled sort of annoyance. He was dressed in his customary red fire rat robes, though he was missing his haori. The fox spotted it immediately wrapped about the oversized bundle he cradled protectively in his arms. Long waves of dark hair spilled over one of the hanyou's arms and two long, shapely legs clad in thick gray sweatpants hung over the other. The feet were covered by cheerful pink slippers that seemed entirely out of place in the picture they made.

This proved it for Kurama. Kagome was indeed a time traveler. And the well was the portal.

The hanyou spotted him immediately and lifted his nose to the air to sniff delicately. Upon scenting fox on the seemingly human male before him, Inuyasha hugged Kagome closer to him and growled a threat low in his throat, ears lowered. "Who the fuck are you?"

Kurama ignored his rudeness and gestured toward the red bundle. "Is Kagome okay?" he asked, a hint of worry in his otherwise smooth voice. Inwardly, he was struggling to keep Youko restrained as the old fox bristled at the hanyou's threatening stance and his hold on Kagome.

Inuyasha's tense form relaxed slightly at the question. Did the fox/human (whatever the hell he was) know Kagome? Suspiciously, he scented the boy again and was struck with how familiar the smell was. He was sure he'd never met him (he'd remember somebody who looked like _that_), but the smell still registered something…

"You!" the hanyou shouted in realization. The girl in his arms began to squirm restlessly. Inuyasha held his breath, hoping he hadn't woken her, and both the males eyed the bundle worriedly. When she settled back down, Inuyasha continued in a quieter voice. "I haven't smelled you on Kagome in over a year."

Kurama smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I'm an old friend of Kagome. We went to school together."

"Feh," the hanyou huffed, still eyeing him distrustfully. "Isn't it a little late for you to be skulking around a shrine?"

The red-haired boy merely gave him a placating smile. "Indeed it is. But I was worried for Kagome's injuries and was waiting for her return to assure myself of her recovery."

"Yeah, well, she's fine so you can just run your scrawny ass back to wherever you came from," Inuyasha told him in no friendly tone.

On the roof, Hiei was in the process of removing the bandana from his forehead. He stopped suddenly when Kagome let out a whimper. Her eyes snapped open and she began to wriggle valiantly. Inuyasha was having a difficult time keeping hold of her so he righted her squirming figure and set her feet gently to the frozen ground, staying his hands at her waist to support her.

She swatted his hands away with a grunt, blue eyes wandering and only half-alert as she stumbled forward. The bewildered miko took three zigzagging steps before she toppled forward. Kurama started toward her to catch her falling form, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

The hanyou leapt forward and quickly caught her around her slender waist before she could hit the snow. He lifted her easily and held her close, letting the girl lean back into his chest for support.

"Stupid sleeping herbs," she muttered irately, seemingly only half-aware of her surroundings.

Inuyasha snorted. "Well, if you would just sit and take the stitches like a man instead of squealing like a little girl, the old bat wouldn't have to-"

His lecture was cut short when Kurama cleared his throat. They both looked toward the source of the sound, the turn setting of Kagome's balance and causing her to stumble a step backward before Inuyasha's hand steadied her.

"Are you well, Kagome?" he asked kindly, fighting the urge to pounce her. By the gods, he wanted to touch her.

She blinked dazedly up at him, her fogged mind struggling to comprehend his presence. "Shuichi-kun? What are you doing in the Sengoku Jidai?" her words were slow and slurred with drowsiness.

He vaguely registered her more familiar use of his human name and a fleeting warmth struck his heart. But what caught his attention was her allusion to the Warring States Era. Was that where she had been?

"We're at your shrine, Kagome-chan. See your house behind me?" he explained her slowly, as if speaking to a child.

Her dark brows knit and she turned mystified eyes to the looming house behind him. She looked around her in confusion, trying to piece together her surroundings. "How did we get here?"

Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes. "I brought you home like you told me to, you stupid girl! You nagged my ear off about getting home for Christmas!" he reminded her with exasperation.

"Christmas?" she asked in a daze. Suddenly a brilliant smile split her face as she clapped her hands excitedly, if a bit sluggishly. "Oh, that reminds me," she spoke in her slow, deliberate manner, over-enunciating each syllable. "I have presents for you under the tree, Inuyasha. And for Shippo-chan and the others, too."

At this, the hanyou's demeanor seemed to lighten considerably as his ears perked forward and he adopted a sort of half-smile Kurama often saw on Yusuke. "Presents? There'd better be ramen in there!"

The girl giggled delightedly and nodded. "There is!" she assured him.

Kurama was beginning to think there was more between the couple than could be seen on the surface. They were just so… familiar with each other. Even now, neither seemed to notice that Inuyasha had one of his hands resting at her waist and Kagome's was occupied on his arm to steady herself. And she was wearing that red jacket of his. He wasn't sure if it might be rude to intrude on their conversation, but decided that he was tired of being ignored. "It's very late and you seem a bit incapacitated, Kagome-chan. Would you like me to take you up to your room?"

Inuyasha turned a cold gaze on him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Just who did this guy think he was? Kagome was his to take care of and if anyone would be helping her into bed it would be him!

The young miko's eyes darkened with something closely resembling longing as she gazed into his bright emerald eyes that had become rimmed with gold. Unexpectedly, she stumbled toward him.

The oversized haori slipped over one of her shoulders and fell open as she stepped forward. Clean, white bandages appeared from under her pink camisole.

_All those "surgeries"…_

There was a moment, one brief moment, one beautiful fleeting moment when he thought she would kiss him. She stood, looking up at him with too-wide eyes. But they became glossy with unshed tears. Her hand moved, too fast for him to follow.

And then his cheek stung.

She'd slapped him!

The fox, caught off guard by the seemingly unprovoked attack, let his mouth fall agape as he lifted a hand to his reddening cheek. He was too shocked to say anything as she continued to stare up at him with angry tears brimming in her eyes.

For a long while the only sounds in the courtyard were the howling of the winter wind through the skeletal branches of the Goshinboku and the muffled snickering of the hanyou behind them.

And then she stepped, fell, tumbled forward into his chest, throwing her warm arms around his chest and hiding her tears in his jacket. Her movements were sluggish and her hands flighty as she moved them towards his face. She laid one against his cool cheek, the one she'd slapped, and stared at the red handprint under her fingers. He stood, bewildered, and afraid to move lest he frighten her away.

The first tear slipped down her cheek, its silent dissent belying the cacophony of emotions clamoring for dominance in her heart. The little miko's voice, quiet and muffled under the falling snow, broke when she whispered, "I missed you. So, so much." Then, she sniffled with an air of indignity. "You jerk!"

And she slapped him again, quicker than the last.

'_Well, I'll be damned…'_

Kurama echoed the fox's sentiments.

Before he could think to try to explain, or calm her, or just pounce her and never let go, she stepped back out of his reach. A combination of Kaede's sleeping herbs and the big, pink slippers on her feet threw her natural grace and she stumbled back into the arms of the hanyou.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at the display, happy for once he wasn't on the receiving end of that smack. Maybe he'd get lucky and she'd put some prayer beads on this poor bastard, whoever he was.

The girl in question was swaying dangerously, so he swept her up into his arms in a motion made smooth and flawless with practice. A sharp stab of envy swept Kurama's heart.

The altercation seemed to have sapped the last bit of strength from the little miko as she laid her head against the half-demon's shoulder and surrendered to a tongue-curling yawn. "I'm kinda sleepy," she mumbled, eyes already drifting closed. The hanyou shook his silver head, eyes glimmering fondly down at her in the moonlight, as he started towards her house to put her to bed.

The red-haired boy, loathe to be forgotten, quickly reasserted himself into the situation. "You will watch over her tonight?"

'_The hell he will!' _the fox in his head growled.

_Hush, Youko, she's in no condition to talk at present._

'_Talking's not what I had in mind.'_

"Feh! I always watch over her," the hanyou snorted arrogantly. "And seeing as you got slapped, I gotta figure you done something awful stupid. So I ain't leaving her in your care."

Kurama's eyes lightened to gold as Youko pushed himself to the surface. "If I return tomorrow to find her in poor condition, your life will be forfeit, _half-breed_."

His lip curled over gleaming fangs in a snarl and Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head. His growl rumbled through his chest, but stopped abruptly when the slumbering girl in his arms whimpered pitifully and snuggled deeper into his chest, ironically seeking shelter from the invisible threat.

The boy's eyes returned to the clear green when Youko submerged back into him. His face melted into his custom serene façade and he turned, tiring of the hanyou and his too-familiar gestures towards _his_ soon-to-be girlfriend. He'd get her back. Er- take her back, as it were. Just as soon as she was lucid enough to listen to him try to explain himself.

"I will return in the morning to ascertain her condition," he threw over his shoulder. He didn't wait to see the hanyou jump into the branches of the tree at Kagome's window and slip quietly into the room with her in tow.

When he reached the street, Hiei fazed into existence beside him. They were quiet as they made their way back to the Minamino house. He would have to sneak in through the back again to avoid waking the household. But, all in all, it was a good day.

He'd seen the object of his desire for the first time in over a year after a self-induced fasting. And he'd learned that she was a crime-fighting miko on the side. He nearly chuckled at the image.

And now, he really had a chance. He was going to have Kagome, one way or another. And no feelings of insecurity or cantankerous hanyous were going to get in the way this time.

"Well," Kurama began amiably to his silent companion. "That was interesting.

"Hn."

.

_AN/ Don't know when I'll get to the computer next._


	6. The Fox is Out of the Bag

AN/ Wow, I thought I'd never get this out. I had the ending written already, but I started getting all these happy reviews (thank you so much for all your wonderful comments, by the way!) and didn't have the heart to put it out the way it was. It was very sad. Not even bittersweet, just a cold, bitter end. I think you all would have been very, very disappointed. So yeah, in light of your enthusiastic reception of this piece, I rewrote the ending!

Written to: Ingrid Michaelson's "Corner of Your Heart" and Enrique Iglesias' "Hero."

.

Clenching Water

The Fox is Out of the Bag

_._

The curtains were drawn, blocking the afternoon sun and casting the familiar pink room into a semidarkness. Soft, low music washed across the space from the radio on the nightstand, a glass of water set in front of it distorting the glowing red numbers until they were unreadable. Little pink slippers lay, discarded, in the floor beside the bed.

As Kurama moved across the room, the figure in the bed never moved. He stopped at arms length from the edge of the bed, calling softly to its slumbering occupant. "Kagome?"

He waited, but she never stirred.

The "sleeping herbs" she'd spoken of the night before must have been very strong. Closing the distance between them, he knelt at her side, silently observing her sleeping façade. Her face was relaxed, unblemished by the worrisome pull of her brows he'd so often seen there in the past. Her sleeping face had always been his favorite. He remembered watching her for hours as she slept.

It seemed so long ago since he'd last touched her. His fingers ached to reach out to her, to run his hands over her body, to feel her skin alight with fire under his touch.

Instead, he reached out and lovingly ghosted the backs of his fingers along her jaw, sweeping away the inky waves that had rested there. He smiled as her nose twitched in her sleep and her eyes moved behind her lids.

A soft whisper escaped her lips. "Roses?" Brilliant blue was revealed to him as her eyes fluttered open sluggishly. His hand stilled.

She stared in mild confusion. "It wasn't a dream," the little miko mused to herself.

Kurama, fearing she had yet to release her ire from the night before, retracted his hand and leaned back onto his feet. He noticed the warmth of longing light her eyes in the darkness. He still had a chance.

"You've been asleep for quite a while, Kagome," he told her gently. He watched her cautiously, not sure if she was still under the influence of the herbs.

The girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes, kicking off the covers and rising to sit stiffly in the center of the bed. The softly lit jewel dangling at her throat briefly caught his attention as she looked around her room, taking in the empty chair across the room, the red haori laid across the back. "Where's Inuyasha?"

Kurama masked his annoyance, smiling reassuringly at the girl. "Your hanyou friend is downstairs, enjoying his ramen." He left out that he'd had somewhat of a verbal battle with the boy to get up the stairs.

'_Damn mutt needs to learn his place,'_ Youko grumbled.

Kagome seemed to suddenly realize who she was talking to and turned wide, vivid eyes on him. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Just what were you doing with those youkai yesterday, Shuichi? That boy in the jeans could pass as human, but the three-eyed guy… There's no way you couldn't have known what he was."

Kurama, for the most part, had expected this sooner or later. It seemed she was fully lucid now, and remembered the events from the previous evening. This might be difficult to explain.

He startled when he felt Youko begin to pour his youki into him. His aura flared around him, causing Kagome to instinctively lean away from him.

_Youko! What the hell are you doing?! _he growled out to his counterpart.

The fox only shrugged nonchalantly. _'Experimenting, Red.'_

_Experi-_

'_Just watch.'_

Kagome, overcoming her immediate apprehension of the youki swelling against her senses, leaned in to Kurama. Her quick eyes scanned over his aura, his serious expression as he observed her, and the gold beginning to overtake his irises. But the demon energy still didn't feel like _him_. Her eyes widened in understanding.

"Shuichi-kun!" she whispered conspiratorially, "There's a demon inside you!"

The shock showed plainly on her face as he responded calmly, none of his dread coloring his voice. "There is."

She leaned back again, her face scrunching up with worry. "Well, how long has he been there?"

"My whole life," he answered evenly, watching the emotions play across her face. Confusion, and hurt. Betrayal. He saw his chances slipping away.

She turned her face from him to hide her pained expression. The whole time! The whole, entire time! He'd known about demons, about the supernatural world the entire time!

All that time, _their_ time, wasted keeping her double life a secret from him. All that time she could have held him, could have talked to him, could have kissed him, wasted keeping rogue youkai at bay and covering her bloody trail.

This was… astronomical! This was completely, utterly impossible! How had she not seen it?

He was beautiful. Rich, crimson hair that put the finest silk to shame framed a perfect, flawless facade. A milky, pearlescent complexion and an angular face, features better fit for some sleek, feral animal. Gems for eyes that radiated intelligence, calculation, following every movement like a predator does his prey. For all their time together she had struggled to determine exactly what it was that irked her. Now she knew. He was inhumanly beautiful.

But he was human. She was sure of it. He felt human. But there was something else, another entity inside him that was completely separate but in some places nearly indistinguishable from him. Like the other had leaked into him, began melding and merging itself with his own spirit. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

Kurama remained stock still, worrying over the myriad of emotions playing over her pretty face. He watched, entranced and amazed as she finally settled on one: determination. He couldn't be sure if it was good or bad. "I'm still me, Kagome-"

"Why now?" she whispered, still not looking at him. The girl kept her eyes trained on the far wall, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Pardon?" It wasn't the reaction the fox had been expecting. Perhaps fear or repulsion or… But if she'd shown him any of these, she wouldn't have been Kagome. It was why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place.

This time, she did meet his eyes. And he saw there the same anxiety and distress he imagined was reflected in his own. Her voice was stronger now, edged with resolve and an underlying anger. "Why are you telling me this now? When it's too late?"

'_Too late…?'_

Kurama shook his head in disbelief. She didn't just say… For the first time in his life, the avatar struggled for words. His mind slowed, froze over. He felt his world drop from beneath him. Before him, painted in her beautiful, agonized face he saw his future slip away from him.

The year without her had been so lonely, so _hard_. But he had consoled himself with the knowledge that it was for the best. That he was doing her a favor by staying away. That they could never be together because of what and who he was.

But then he'd seen her there, fighting with youkai like a seasoned veteran of war, as if she belonged in the tumultuous world of demons and spirits. And the burning ember had swelled into a hellfire, swept through him and consumed him. It had filled him with hope and determination. He could have her. He _would_ have her.

Now that he knew they could be together, now that she was so close, so _obtainable_, he couldn't let her go. Not a second time.

He couldn't have predicted that she would be the one to stand in his way.

'_Fix this!' _the fox in his mind snarled, a desperate note in his usually collected voice.

_How? _he replied despondently.

'_I don't know! Just do something, damnit!'_

"What do you mean too late?" It was all he could think to say, the only thing his mind could conjure. _Too late…_

Kagome turned her eyes from him again. She couldn't look at him. Not with what she was about to say. The pain in his eyes was too much, and to know she was the one doing this to him was killing her. She'd dreaded this moment for months, knowing that someday she would have to see him again and it would be all the harder to stay away.

"Shuichi, I am the guardian of a powerful and dangerous jewel, the Shikon no Tama," she gestured to the gem hanging innocently around her neck. "I was born with it, and it's my responsibility to keep it out of the hands of those who would use it for evil or selfish purposes." She laughed self-depreciatingly. "I haven't done such a good job so far."

Her thoughts turned to a young miko who had visited Kaede's village a few weeks ago. She had traveled from the west to find Kagome with some hopeful news.

"The well out back is a portal to the Sengoku Jidai. I have been traveling back and forth between eras since I was fifteen. The power of this jewel is too much for the world of men. I want to get rid of it, to destroy it once and for all. But so far I've had no luck."

At this point, she turned her eyes back to him, unable to keep them from him for too long. She hoped he could understand, could see the honesty in her eyes. The girl viciously bit back the tears ready to fall at his sullen expression, so _pained_.

"Shuichi, next week I'm leaving for China. Five hundred years ago."

His expression hardened. Was that all? "I'll wait for you, then."

Kagome shook her head sadly, eyes glossy with sympathy as she reached out a pale hand to cup his face. The fox leaned into her touch. "I'll be gone for a year at least. There's a priest on the far end of the continent who says he can-"

"I'll come with you," he interrupted with no hesitance.

She smiled a bittersweet smile. "You can't, Shuichi. The well doesn't allow anyone but me and Inuyasha to pass through."

"I'll find a way," the fox told her sternly, covering her hand with his own.

Her brows knit in mild irritation at his stubbornness. Didn't he understand? Didn't he realize what he was doing to her? "Why are you doing this?"

Kurama watched her and wondered what could possibly be going through her mind. Wasn't it obvious?

'_Go ahead,' _Youko urged him quietly. _'Tell her how we feel.'_

_We?_ he asked, somewhat surprised at the admission.

The fox shot him an annoyed look, but began weaving himself into the avatar's arms so he could feel Kagome's hand under his own. _'If it's what it takes to get her to see reason, then tell her.'_

Kurama came back to focus on the girl before him, noticing the way her brilliant blue eyes glittered, shining with an inner light that seemed to overcome the darkness of the room. The fabric of her pajamas was wrinkled and askew. Her thick, inky waves were mussed and tangled from sleep. Even so, all he could think was how much he wanted to wake up to her beautiful face every morning.

He'd never wanted anything more in his life. _They_ had never wanted anything more. And if anything could be said for Youko Kurama, it's that he always got what he wanted. With that in mind, Youko's voice and his own melded into those three words, his last hope. "Kagome, I love you."

The silence stretched on forever. He watched warily her reaction. Surprise lit her face at first, then confusion and a sad frown. But her eyes told a different story, one that lit an echoing warmth in his chest. He could see, somewhere deep she still felt the same.

"How can I believe you after what you did? You left, Shuichi, and told me that morning, as if it was an afterthought," she accused. Her brows knit in anger as she continued. "You never even called. Nothing for more than a year and then you just waltz back into my life and think you can tell me you _love me _and everything will be just dandy?!"

Kurama tried to keep his desperation from coloring his voice as he rushed to explain, clasping both her hands in his now. Youko was raving inside his mind, clamoring to be heard. "I left _because_ I loved you, Kagome. I left you alone so that my reputation wouldn't put you in danger. There are many, many who seek my death and they are not above using those close to me to gain the upper hand."

She looked doubtful, so he resorted to his last bit of ammo. "And," he continued, struggling with this admission, "the truth is that I was _anxious _that you would reject me if you ever knew the truth of what I am."

Her eyes seemed to soften at this, and Kurama breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least she didn't look ready to bolt at any moment now. He watched as her shoulders slumped tiredly and she seemed to give in.

Tentatively, the young miko leaned forward and placed both her hands on either side of his face, looking into his gilded emerald eyes, contemplating. Then, "I don't know _what_ you are, Shuichi, and I don't care. But I know _who_ you are. You know that. You couldn't have so little faith in my affections, could you?" she smiled teasingly.

'_Affections…' _the fox in him grinned. _'Did you hear that, Red?'_

Kurama, feeling confident that he had won the little disagreement, pulled her into his arms for the first time in over a year. She willingly slid into his lap, settling into the familiar spot with ease. The feeling of fitting so perfectly was something she'd thought she'd never feel again.

"So, it's settled. I'll be going to China with you," Kurama said confidently, reveling in the feel of her in his arms again, pressing kisses to the crown of her head.

Kagome giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck fondly. "I love you, you big jerk," she smiled, raising up to lovingly caress his lips with her own. She laughed into his mouth when it was returned tenfold, her back meeting the edge of the bed as Kurama leaned her back over his arm for better leverage.

The kiss deepened as the avatar pressed them together, molding her body to his lovingly. He slanted his mouth over hers again and again, determined to show her just how much he'd missed her, how sorry he was. Youko had fully woven his own spirit through his, wanting to feel every breath and every caress, wanting to hear the pounding of the little miko's heart as they took her to new heights.

Some time later they parted for breath, Kagome gasping for air, a deep blush across her cheeks and a smile on her bruised lips. She leaned back into him, keeping her arms firmly around him. She laid her ear down to his hard chest, delighting in the steady rhythm she heard echoing her own.

"So," the fox said, loving the familiar feeling of her fingers running through his hair and skimming over his collarbone.

"So," she echoed with a smile. Her attention was drawn back to the youki in his aura when it fluctuated under her gentle ministrations. Her brow crinkled as she concentrated on the feeling, trying to discern the nature of the energy. "The demon in you, does he…?"

Kurama understood her unspoken question. Youko had stilled at his mention, fully focused on the curious girl in their lap. For once, their feelings and thoughts were in tune with each other when they gave her a smile.

"You want to meet him?" the boy asked her.

She considered the question, searching his eyes for any sign of hesitation. There was none. He was completely confident in the demon's benign intentions; he wouldn't harm her. If he trusted the creature that much, then she would, too. "Yes."

No sooner had the word left her mouth than Kurama's eyes were completely flooded with warm gold and his hair became streaked with silvery moonlight. She watched in fascination as his round human ears grew, stretched, and shifted until they were two large, silver triangles atop his head. His bones lengthened and he grew broader with a series of painful-sounding cracks and pops that Kagome had long ago come to associate with Inuyasha's transformations. Behind him, a silver tail sprouted from the base of his spine, the long, silken fur of which shone with brilliant bands in the little slivers of sunlight that leaked through the blinds.

Her attention was drawn to his face as it too changed. The difference was almost negligible, but she noticed that it had become even more angular, his eyes taking a more traditional almond shape, his cheekbones perhaps set a bit higher and his lips thinner. The boyish charm of Shuichi's face had been replaced with the smoldering, heated allure of a man. But it was still his face; Kagome thought it looked almost as if Shuichi had aged ten years in ten seconds.

As the little miko came out of her awe-induced stupor, she was startled to discover a fanged grin directed in her direction. The golden eyes of the male were sparkling with mischief and a barely restrained rapture as he looked her over.

"Um," she gave a nervous giggle under his heated gaze and shifted in his lap, feeling strange and uncomfortable in such a familiar position. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kagome," she supplied uselessly.

The beautiful creature chuckled richly, the sound of it quivering through her chest and exciting a delicious tickle in her stomach. She wouldn't say it put her at ease or relaxed her, but it did make her feel more comfortable with him. At first he had almost reminded her of Sesshoumaru with the cold, unfeeling sort of air about him. But his laugh was warm and genuine.

"I know," Youko grinned, lifting a large, pale hand tipped with deadly claws to lay gently against her cheek, watching, fascinated, the movement of his own hand as it stroked over her smooth skin.

Kagome watched him wearily. She hadn't made it this far trusting every strange demon that laid its claws on her. But his hand was gentle and she soon relaxed completely, reveling in the gentle emotion he communicated through the simple touch. He had been waiting, too.

But, there was something nagging her, in the back of her mind. Something that demon in black had said. He'd called Shuichi some weird name and for some reason her mind couldn't leave it alone. What had it been? She struggled through the fog in her mind that surrounded the rushed events of yesterday.

… Kurama! The demon had called him Kurama!

It was an odd thing to call a human boy named Shuichi, but somehow it seemed so famil-

"Youko Kurama!" she shouted in disbelief, causing the demon before her to still his ministrations and look up at her with hopeful eyes as she fell backward in her excitement and spilled onto the floor.

She quickly righted herself and scrambled out of the amused demon's grasp to stand and point accusingly down at him. "You're Youko Kurama!" she said triumphantly, eyeing his long tail and the twitching ears atop his silver head. Their movement nearly caused her to lose her momentum and she struggled to pull her eyes from the furry appendages.

"I might be," he answered, but a vulpine grin told her everything she needed to know.

"You _are_! Oh, my god! _The_ Youko Kurama is sitting in my room having a conversation with me," she exclaimed with a dazed expression.

Another chuckle from the sleek creature as he stretched lazily and turned to recline against the edge of her bed. "My reputation precedes me," he laughed easily.

She began pacing across her floor and he watched with interest as she shook her head in disbelief. "Shuichi told me the story about your escape and how you hid yourself in the body of a human. I never dreamed it was _him_!"

Youko watched her in amusement as she gained momentum. "And he hid your life and his memories under the guise of fairy tales, that jerk!" He was mildly surprised when she spun on her heel to look at him with a wild expression. "If I smack you, will he feel it?"

"We can worry about that later," he soothed, not liking where this was going. He wanted to touch her, to hold her. The novelty of being able to talk with her directly, to be with her still hadn't faded. Most of all, he wanted to finish what his counterpart had started.

The miko stopped to look at him, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "You're not going to steal anything, are you?" she asked suspiciously, scanning the room to assure herself that everything was in its place.

"I assure you, darling, there is only one thing worth stealing in this room," he gave her a rather suggestive look, molten gold eyes sending a shiver through her body. He was so _intense._

A blush flamed her cheeks and she took a nervous step backward. Seeing this, Youko rose with animal grace to his feet and strode confidently over to her. Instead of crushing her beautiful, oblivious lips like he wanted to, the fox settled for taking her tiny hands in his own.

He lifted them to his eyes, ignoring her quiet gasp, and turned them over, inspecting. He lightly ran the pads of his thumb over the length of each of her fingers, the light tan of her flesh contrasting with the ethereal snowy pallor of his own. He trailed his claws gently, carefully up the lines of her palms, tapping the calluses on her thumb and forefinger curiously. Finally, he lifted his eyes, letting the swell of affection he felt show through them, trying to communicate his desires to her. The fox held her gaze as he lifted both her hands to place a trail of kisses across her knuckles.

Kagome shivered at the touch, feeling his fangs graze her hand harmlessly as he caressed her knuckles with sensuous lips. "I have waited a very long time to meet you, Kagome," he said against her skin, his hot breath fanning over her hand and causing goose pimples to rise to the surface.

She swallowed, struggling for coherent thought under his intense gaze. Briefly, her blue eyes flitted above his head when his ears twitched. "You have?" she asked absently.

"So long," he whispered, beginning to extend his attentions up her arm. Her natural scent of orange blossoms filled his nose like a heady perfume, the taste of her skin just as delicious. Her blush was deepening. So close, he could hear the rapid beat of her heart.

"You were always there?" Kagome asked as her mind was immersed in a sensual fog, her nerves tingling all along her body, the fox lighting a fire along her skin as he worked his way up her shoulder and to her neck. It was so strange. She didn't know him, at least not properly; she shouldn't be letting him touch her so familiarly, shouldn't allow him such liberties. But somehow, it all seemed so familiar. She neither wanted nor felt the need to push him away as he finally made it to her lips and stopped a hairbreadth's away from kissing her.

His lips hovered over her mouth. She held his golden gaze, something so familiar in their molten depths. She thought she could see Shuichi there, too, as if he was looking out at her through a window.

"Yes, I have always been here. You just couldn't see me. But I could see you, and I could feel you," Youko told her, finally closing the distance to demonstrate.

Immediately, Kagome melted under the familiarity of the kiss. His youki now the dominant energy in his aura, she felt Shuichi's reiki flare underneath its smothering presence. His lips moved over hers in the same pattern, the same rhythm. He looked, different, he acted different, but he felt the same. And she suddenly understood.

They were the same.

The young miko pulled back and looked up with flushed cheeks and curious eyes. A little smile tilted her mouth as she saw the contented expression that had made slack the fox's, _her_ fox's, usually rigid façade. "I think I understand," she told him quietly.

Curiosity lit his eyes, and he raised his silver brows in query. "You do?" His voice was huskier than it had been, roughened with emotion and passion.

"You and Shuichi, you've shared a body for his whole life. So your souls and your spirits leaked into each other; they started merging where they touched. You're not the same Youko Kurama from Shuichi's stories. And I imagine he isn't the same Shuichi he was born as. You've changed each other," she said softly, quietly. "And in some ways, I think you've become one."

"You're starting to sound like Shuichi; are you sure it isn't you who is doing the merging?" the fox asked, neither admitting nor denying the truth of her words.

Gently, the little miko smiled and raised a hand to his face. "But you haven't changed since I met you. I've always known you. You're still the same person, just with a different name. And ears." She giggled when said ears twitched, as if annoyed they were being talked about as if they weren't there.

Youko took notice of the glowing jewel around her neck again as it pulsed, delighted to feel a demonic aura so close. He easily resisted the passing urge to touch it. "You kept a lot from us," he told her.

"You did, too," she defended herself. "I thought you were just some normal human guy. How was I to know Shuichi housed an ancient fox spirit? And besides," she began, her voice growing softer with sorrow. "I guess I was a little afraid. That you would hurt me. And you did."

"It was never our intention," Youko soothed.

"What is, then?" Kagome asked, meeting his gold eyes with her own grayed orbs.

The fox shifted, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin material of her shirt. He lowered his mouth to her ear, kissing it, and whispered, "We want to keep you. _Forever_."

Kagome smiled against his skin, feeling one of his ears twitch in her hair where it was trapped between them. She had waited forever to hear that; to hear that _she_ was wanted, not for her jewel or what she could do. Her heart swelled with love for the man she had found, this strange mixture of shy, powerful human and mischievous, intense fox. In that moment, she felt that her soul had found its home, its shelter, and its temple.

"I can live with that," she smiled.

Downstairs, there was a clamor of dishes from the kitchen and shouts of triumph from the sitting room where Souta played his video games. A feline hiss melted into a squall. Inuyasha had the cat again. But they paid no attention to it.

Youko's silver tail swished behind him. Kagome found it adorable.

"I'm still going to China with you."

.

_FIN_

.

AN/ And they all lived happily ever after. Or so we'll assume. Yes, I believe you will all like this ending so much better than the original. You would have killed me.


End file.
